English Estates: Dunhill Ruby Bark (4105) (2007) Tobacco Pipe

Dunhill's "05" straight Dublin scales nicely across various groups. Whether in svelte Group 3 size or in the more hearty Group 4 offering seen here. Classic of flare toward the rim and sleek and arrow straight through the shank and tapered stem, it's dressed in a craggy Ruby Bark finish and further elevated by a bright sterling silver band at the shank end.

Dunhill's Ruby Bark finish is one that's gone through a fairly extensive evolution since its inception in 1972. It began as the Redbark and has always remained a red-stained sandblast, but the color was brightened a few years after its introduction before Dunhill returned to the original, darker hue in 1976. Eventually, though, the Redbark was discontinued in 1987. After a hiatus of several decades, the same ruby-stained sandblast was reimagined in the form of today's Ruby Bark finish, adding to the rich, crisp aesthetic accents of sterling silver for a colorful presentation that still retains a high level of formality.